Born in Montreal, Canada, Peterson began learning trumpet and piano from his father at the age of five, but by the age of seven, after a bout of tuberculosis, he concentrated on the piano. Some of the artists who influenced Peterson during the early years were Teddy Wilson, Nat "King" Cole, James P. Johnson, and the legendary Art Tatum, to whom many have tried to compare Peterson in later years. In fact, one of his first exposures to the musical talents of Art Tatum came early in his teen years when his father played an Art Tatum record to him and Peterson was so intimidated by what he heard that he didn't touch the piano for over a week.
He soon developed a reputation as a technically brilliant and melodically inventive jazz pianist, and became a regular on Canadian radio. His United States introduction was at Carnegie Hall, New York City in 1949 by Norman Granz; owing to union restrictions his appearance could not be billed.
Some of his musical associates have included Lester Young, Ray Brown, Ben Webster, Herb Ellis, Ed Thigpen, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Louis Armstrong, Stéphane Grappelli, Ella Fitzgerald, Clark Terry, Joe Pass, Count Basie, and Stan Getz. An important step in his career was joining impresario Norman Granz's labels (especially Verve records) and Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic package, with which he was able to play with the major jazz artists of the time. Granz was also his manager for most of Peterson's career. Some cognoscenti assert that Peterson's best recordings were made for the MPS label in the late 'sixties and early 'seventies. For some years subsequently he recorded for Granz's Pablo Records after the label was founded in 1973 and in more recent years for the Telarc label.
In 1993, Peterson suffered a serious stroke that weakened his left side and sidelined him for two years. However he overcame this setback and went back to touring, recording, and composing on a limited basis. In 1997 he received a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement and an International Jazz Hall of Fame Award. He died on December 24th, 2007 of kidney failure.
Dreamsville
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
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A dreamy view, just we two alone
If love in Dreamsville, time is new
We're here to love and we do
We can see the rest of the world
Below us from our pink cloud
As we go exploring hand in hand
In dreamy Dreamsville
Far away and here we love
Here we stay
There's no boundary to this magic land
As we go exploring hand in hand
In dreamy Dreamsville
Far away and here we love
Here we stay
Oscar Peterson's song "Dreamsville" is a tribute to the escapist qualities of romantic love. The singer is experiencing the sensation of being lost in this ethereal paradise, a place where he and his lover can exist outside of time and space. The lyrics convey this sense of detachment from reality through recurring images of clouds and dreaminess. The phrase "holding you / a dreamy view" sets the tone for the entire song. The singer presents their relationship as a perfect world that they share: "If love in Dreamsville, time is new / We're here to love, and we do." The reference to Dreamsville emphasizes the unreality of the experience, as if it could only exist within the confines of a dream.
The singer goes on to describe the view from their "pink cloud," which allows them to "see the rest of the world / below us." This further emphasizes their detachment from reality, suggesting that they are looking down on the mundane world from a higher and more privileged position. However, the lyrics also suggest that this dreamland is not completely impractical. As they go "exploring hand in hand," there is a sense of adventure and discovery that suggests a deepening of their intimacy. The last lines of the song repeat the idea that there are "no boundaries" to their happiness, reinforcing the sense of limitless possibility that exists in the dream world.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm in Dreamsville, holding you
In this perfect dreamworld called Dreamsville, I'm holding you.
A dreamy view, just we two alone
It's just the two of us here in this picturesque dreamland.
If love in Dreamsville, time is new
Here in Dreamsville, love feels fresh and new.
We're here to love and we do
Our purpose in this dreamworld is to love each other, and that's what we're doing.
We can see the rest of the world
Below us from our pink cloud
From our perch on a pink cloud, we can look down and see the rest of the world.
There's no boundary to this magic land
Dreamsville has no limits, it's a truly magical place.
As we go exploring hand in hand
Together, we're exploring all that Dreamsville has to offer.
In dreamy Dreamsville
This is a place where dreams come true.
Far away and here we love
Though we may be far from reality, our love is still just as strong.
Here we stay
We're not leaving Dreamsville anytime soon. This dream is too perfect.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group
Written by: HENRY N MANCINI, JAY LIVINGSTON, RAY EVANS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind